“Agencies Suck.” And Other Things We Need to Talk About
Why the Conversation About Recruiting Agencies Matters
“Agencies suck.”
This is something I’ve always heard whispered around the recruiting world. Ever since I moved to the agency side, though, I’ve been hearing it louder, more direct, and far more unfiltered.
Sometimes it’s said jokingly. Sometimes it comes from exhaustion. Other times it gets softened into a line I’ve now heard several times in the past month: “Laarni, I want to work with you… just not an agency.”
And honestly, I get it.
Why the Reputation Exists
Agencies can suck.
Some rush the process. Some send resumes without context. Others ghost candidates. Still others make hiring feel like a numbers game instead of a partnership.
That experience leaves a mark on companies and hiring leaders.
But here’s the part people rarely say out loud. Great agencies don’t suck. Bad ones do. And the right recruiter inside an agency gives companies something they desperately need but rarely have: bandwidth and expertise.
Perspective From Both Sides of the Hiring Table
Over the past decade, I’ve recruited in-house, inside startups scaling at breakneck speed, and across global teams operating in multiple time zones.
I’ve hired in easy markets and brutal ones.
I’ve also watched companies stall or lose momentum simply because they didn’t have the time, focus, or energy to run a high-quality search.
That is exactly where the right agency partner becomes a force multiplier. The right partner clears the path, expands bandwidth, and keeps the hiring process moving when everything else inside the company feels like it’s on fire.
Not a vendor.
Not a resume-forwarding machine.
A partner.
Where the Right Recruiting Partner Makes the Difference
When the partnership works, recruiting changes in meaningful ways.
Searches move forward even when internal teams are stretched thin. Candidates receive clearer communication and stronger representation. Hiring managers regain time and focus to run their business while the search continues to progress.
Most importantly, the process becomes more deliberate.
Instead of simply forwarding resumes, a strong recruiting partner helps companies clarify what they truly need, evaluate talent more effectively, and maintain momentum throughout the hiring process.
That difference is often the reason some organizations scale successfully while others stall.
Why I’m Starting This Series
Over the next few weeks, I’m sharing stories. Some of them will be messy. Some will be surprising. Others will be funny or heartfelt. All of them come from real experiences across different hiring environments.
Those stories will include lessons from my global journey and the perspective it created. They’ll include experiences navigating global teams and cultures, scaling through chaos, and running searches that initially felt impossible but ultimately produced the perfect match.
Some stories will come from candidates who changed my thinking entirely. Others will focus on the biggest lessons learned from working inside both in-house recruiting environments and agency recruiting teams.
If you’ve ever wondered what great recruiting actually looks like, this series might surprise you.
If you’ve ever been burned by a bad agency, this series is for you.
And if you’ve ever said, “Laarni, I want to work with you… just not an agency,” pull up a chair.